Conventional digital computers are composed of devices which perform logical operations on one-dimensional electrical binary signals. Such conventional digital computers are used to process large two-dimensional image or array data only with great difficulty since, in general, point-by-point scanning or interrogation of the images or arrays is required to convert the image data to a serial data stream suitable for digital computer processing. While devices having an optical array radiant energy input and an optical array output, such as image intensifiers, have been available for some time, to our knowledge no devices have heretofore existed having digital radiant energy array inputs and deriving a digital radiant energy array output according to desired logical operations.
The impetus toward development of two-dimensional digital computing devices and systems has come from the orders of magnitude of speed advantage which can be obtained by processing the one million or more picture elements of satellite gathered earth observations imagery in parallel. In particular, the speed advantages may permit such computers to be carried on board future weather and natural resource observation satellites. Furthermore, two-dimensional computers have a broad application for many problems not related to real images throughout the various scientific disciplines where large order two-dimensional array data is to be processed.